James Gate Condominium

So here's the thing about James Gate—it's got perfect transit access, like literally a two-minute walk to a bus stop, which sounds weird for a West Michigan condo community but actually means you don't need to white-knuckle it to downtown Grand Rapids if you don't want to. Units run around $484K and are small—about a quarter acre each—so you're not maintaining some sprawling yard. You've got 60 restaurants within a mile, including one practically next door, plus two parks and a grocery store less than a mile away. It's dense enough that errands don't require a road trip, but the fitness options are a little thinner, so if you're serious about gyms you might have to drive.